Tex Turner Arena
The B. Frank "Tex" Turner arena has been the home of the Railsplitters and Lady Railsplitters since 1991. Since then, it has become known as one of the top basketball facilities at the Division II level. The arena replaced the Mary E. Mars Gymnasium, which had been the home of LMU basketball since 1948.
The 87,000 square foot complex seats 5,009 for basketball contests, with another 1,000 portable seats available for other events. The distance from the playing floor to the roof is 40 feet, the equivalent of a two-story building. The arena is 230 feet (east to west) and 282 feet (north to south). It contains over 81,866 square feet of floor space, and over 4 million cubic feet of space.
The arena was named after former LMU football and basketball standout B. Frank "Tex" Turner, who donated the funds for it’s construction. Work on the multi-million dollar facility began on May 7, 1988 and on Feb. 2, 1991 the Railsplitters and Lady Railsplitters held their first contests in the facility when they hosted the University of Alabama-Huntsville in a doubleheader. The women won 112-95 and the men lost 85-69.
The 87,000 square foot complex seats 5,009 for basketball contests, with another 1,000 portable seats available for other events. The distance from the playing floor to the roof is 40 feet, the equivalent of a two-story building. The arena is 230 feet (east to west) and 282 feet (north to south). It contains over 81,866 square feet of floor space, and over 4 million cubic feet of space.
The arena was named after former LMU football and basketball standout B. Frank "Tex" Turner, who donated the funds for it’s construction. Work on the multi-million dollar facility began on May 7, 1988 and on Feb. 2, 1991 the Railsplitters and Lady Railsplitters held their first contests in the facility when they hosted the University of Alabama-Huntsville in a doubleheader. The women won 112-95 and the men lost 85-69.
LMU Soccer Complex
The LMU Soccer Field/Complex has been the home of the LMU soccer teams since 2008.
The field is adjacent to the site of Gibbs Field, the home of the LMU soccer teams from 1990-2007.
The settings include a 120x80 yard bermuda grass field, European-style goals, and brand new score board. The large dugouts also feature storage areas and two bathrooms in addition to covered benches.
The facility also features concrete stands that seat approximately 200 people and the hillside on either side of the stands has proven to be popular for fans to bring chairs and/or towels and watch the game. The press box was completed in 2013.
Due to construction of the LMU Lacrosse Complex, men's and women's lacrosse home games in the 2016 season will be played at the LMU Soccer Complex.
The field is adjacent to the site of Gibbs Field, the home of the LMU soccer teams from 1990-2007.
The settings include a 120x80 yard bermuda grass field, European-style goals, and brand new score board. The large dugouts also feature storage areas and two bathrooms in addition to covered benches.
The facility also features concrete stands that seat approximately 200 people and the hillside on either side of the stands has proven to be popular for fans to bring chairs and/or towels and watch the game. The press box was completed in 2013.
Due to construction of the LMU Lacrosse Complex, men's and women's lacrosse home games in the 2016 season will be played at the LMU Soccer Complex.
Dorothy Neely Field
Dorothy Neely Field has been the home of the Lady Railsplitters since the 1990 season.
The field complex seats approximately 375 people in bleacher seats, seating behind home plate, sideline benches and open areas for lawn chairs. The dimensions are 200 feet down the lines and 215 to center field. The playing surface is Bermuda grass. Batting cages and a bullpen are adjacent to the field, and teams can also use the baseball field cages and bullpen if needed.
A press box / storage facility was completed in 2011 behind home plate which includes space for scoreboard and statistical operations as well as equipment storage and the players' dressing room.
The dugouts are enclosed, and there are safety fences in the front to help protect players, coaches and staff from stray balls.
Lights were installed in 2003, and several night games are scheduled each year.
The facility hosted the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Tournament in April, 2014.
The Lady Railsplitters first played on the field on March 28, 1990, when they hosted former TVAC foe Milligan College. LMU won both games by scores of 4-3 and 8-5. Prior to that, home games were played on a part of the old LMU farm (the playing site is now included in the Harrogate City Park.) The field was officially dedicated on May 12, 1990.
Neely Field lies adjacent to the baseball field on part of the site of the old Cooper Field, which was the home of LMU baseball and football. For many years the baseball stands sat in what is now right field. (The baseball field was located in the same spot it is now, but home plate was in the area that is now left field.) The visiting football sidelines were located roughly along the right field line as well.
The field complex seats approximately 375 people in bleacher seats, seating behind home plate, sideline benches and open areas for lawn chairs. The dimensions are 200 feet down the lines and 215 to center field. The playing surface is Bermuda grass. Batting cages and a bullpen are adjacent to the field, and teams can also use the baseball field cages and bullpen if needed.
A press box / storage facility was completed in 2011 behind home plate which includes space for scoreboard and statistical operations as well as equipment storage and the players' dressing room.
The dugouts are enclosed, and there are safety fences in the front to help protect players, coaches and staff from stray balls.
Lights were installed in 2003, and several night games are scheduled each year.
The facility hosted the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Softball Tournament in April, 2014.
The Lady Railsplitters first played on the field on March 28, 1990, when they hosted former TVAC foe Milligan College. LMU won both games by scores of 4-3 and 8-5. Prior to that, home games were played on a part of the old LMU farm (the playing site is now included in the Harrogate City Park.) The field was officially dedicated on May 12, 1990.
Neely Field lies adjacent to the baseball field on part of the site of the old Cooper Field, which was the home of LMU baseball and football. For many years the baseball stands sat in what is now right field. (The baseball field was located in the same spot it is now, but home plate was in the area that is now left field.) The visiting football sidelines were located roughly along the right field line as well.
Lamar Hennon Field
The Lamar Hennon Field seats 1,100 (not including the parking areas along the outfield) and was officially dedicated on Nov. 4, 1989.
It is the oldest athletic facility on campus still in use as the field site itself, then called Cooper Field, has been used since 1910. It was also the home of the LMU Airedale/Railsplitter football team and portions of it were used for track and field events by the LMU track team. Until the renovation of the site in 1988-89, home plate was located in the area now comprising left field, and the stands and LMU tennis courts were adjacent to the right field line.
In the late 1980's Lamar Hennon, a 1959 graduate of LMU and an All-VSAC catcher, spearheaded the effort to renovate and modernize the baseball facilities as LMU made the move from NAIA to the NCAA Division II. The field and stands area were renamed the Lamar Hennon Field in his honor.
Within the past few years lights have been installed and the field resurfaced.
It is the oldest athletic facility on campus still in use as the field site itself, then called Cooper Field, has been used since 1910. It was also the home of the LMU Airedale/Railsplitter football team and portions of it were used for track and field events by the LMU track team. Until the renovation of the site in 1988-89, home plate was located in the area now comprising left field, and the stands and LMU tennis courts were adjacent to the right field line.
In the late 1980's Lamar Hennon, a 1959 graduate of LMU and an All-VSAC catcher, spearheaded the effort to renovate and modernize the baseball facilities as LMU made the move from NAIA to the NCAA Division II. The field and stands area were renamed the Lamar Hennon Field in his honor.
Within the past few years lights have been installed and the field resurfaced.
LMU Tennis Complex
The LMU Tennis Complex was opened in the spring of 2010. It replaced the old Annan Tennis Courts, which had been the home of the tennis teams from 1990.
The complex features six regular courts and a stadium court, all with lighting. Seating is currently available for over 100 fans in bleacher seats and future plans call for permanent seats to be placed around the stadium court.
Adjacent to the courts is the Charles Poteat Field House, which was named for the former LMU tennis coach and dedicated in October, 2011. The facility has dressing rooms for both teams, a players lounge, press area and storage areas. Coach Collins' office is located on the ground floor. The upper-level patio has proven to be a popular place for eating out and watching the matches.
The complex features six regular courts and a stadium court, all with lighting. Seating is currently available for over 100 fans in bleacher seats and future plans call for permanent seats to be placed around the stadium court.
Adjacent to the courts is the Charles Poteat Field House, which was named for the former LMU tennis coach and dedicated in October, 2011. The facility has dressing rooms for both teams, a players lounge, press area and storage areas. Coach Collins' office is located on the ground floor. The upper-level patio has proven to be a popular place for eating out and watching the matches.
Mary Mars Gymnasium
The LMU volleyball team plays all of its home matches in the historic Mary E. Mars Gymnasium, the home of LMU volleyball since the program came into existence in 1989. From 1992-end of the 2011 regular season the Lady Railsplitters have compiled a 167-76 record, good for a .687 winning percentage.
Since the opening of the Turner Arena in 1991, the facility has been used almost exclusively by the volleyball team. Beginning in 2004, the facility has undergone extensive renovations including a new scoreboard, technology upgrades at the scorers table/press row, repairs to the locker rooms, new windows and new glass-door entrances. The facility will host the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Volleyball Tournament in 2011.The facility seats 1,500 spectators for athletic events, and houses offices and classrooms. The volleyball offices were moved here in 2004 and are located next to the West entrance.
The Mars Gymnasium also has a state-of-the-art weight room used by the LMU students, faculty and staff. Several classes are taught in the facility using both the court and a classroom located in the front of the building. The J. Frank White Academy also uses the facility as their home basketball court.
The building now known as Mars Gymnasium was originally a sports arena at Camp Forrest, an Army post in Tullahoma, Tennessee, (now a part of Arnold Air Force Base known as the Arnold Engineering Development Center) from 1941-1946. One of the more famous people using the future Mars Gymnasium during this period was General George S. Patton, who used the facility in 1941- 42 to help train the 2nd Armored Division. Later in the war, Camp Forrest was also used as a prisoner of war camp and the gymnasium was used by German and Italian POWs. After the war, Camp Forrest was closed and the building was no longer in use.
In 1946, LMU began a $75,000 campaign for a new athletics facility and it was suggested that the Camp Forrest building be bought and moved to the campus. The building was renamed Mary E. Mars Gymnasium after the mother of a former member of the Board of Trustees, Sam Mars Sr., and dedicated to all mothers everywhere. Mars Gymnasium was officially opened on November 29, 1948, in a basketball game which saw the Railsplitters fall 58-43 to the Tennessee Volunteers. In the 1950s the Mary S. Annan Natatorium was added to the building. Mars Gymnasium served as the home of the men’s and women’s basketball teams from 1948-1991.
Since the opening of the Turner Arena in 1991, the facility has been used almost exclusively by the volleyball team. Beginning in 2004, the facility has undergone extensive renovations including a new scoreboard, technology upgrades at the scorers table/press row, repairs to the locker rooms, new windows and new glass-door entrances. The facility will host the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Volleyball Tournament in 2011.The facility seats 1,500 spectators for athletic events, and houses offices and classrooms. The volleyball offices were moved here in 2004 and are located next to the West entrance.
The Mars Gymnasium also has a state-of-the-art weight room used by the LMU students, faculty and staff. Several classes are taught in the facility using both the court and a classroom located in the front of the building. The J. Frank White Academy also uses the facility as their home basketball court.
The building now known as Mars Gymnasium was originally a sports arena at Camp Forrest, an Army post in Tullahoma, Tennessee, (now a part of Arnold Air Force Base known as the Arnold Engineering Development Center) from 1941-1946. One of the more famous people using the future Mars Gymnasium during this period was General George S. Patton, who used the facility in 1941- 42 to help train the 2nd Armored Division. Later in the war, Camp Forrest was also used as a prisoner of war camp and the gymnasium was used by German and Italian POWs. After the war, Camp Forrest was closed and the building was no longer in use.
In 1946, LMU began a $75,000 campaign for a new athletics facility and it was suggested that the Camp Forrest building be bought and moved to the campus. The building was renamed Mary E. Mars Gymnasium after the mother of a former member of the Board of Trustees, Sam Mars Sr., and dedicated to all mothers everywhere. Mars Gymnasium was officially opened on November 29, 1948, in a basketball game which saw the Railsplitters fall 58-43 to the Tennessee Volunteers. In the 1950s the Mary S. Annan Natatorium was added to the building. Mars Gymnasium served as the home of the men’s and women’s basketball teams from 1948-1991.
LMU Golf Complex
The LMU Golf Complex opened in 2009, and since that time, it has provided the men's and women's golf teams with some of the highest quality facilities at the NCAA Division II level. The LMU Golf Complex is comprised of a fully-functioning driving range (with practice mats available), a putting green, a practice hole and an area to work on the wedge game.
On the far side of the range, the men's and women's golf teams boast an indoor facility that is available for their use at anytime. The indoor facility includes a players' lounge, a putting green, hitting mats, heating and air conditioning and a workout room.
On the far side of the range, the men's and women's golf teams boast an indoor facility that is available for their use at anytime. The indoor facility includes a players' lounge, a putting green, hitting mats, heating and air conditioning and a workout room.